Together Transforming…Lives. Church. World.

 

Gretchen van Utt begins her contract as Interim Pastor at Harundale on February 14.

 

Katherine Foster Conners is transferring her membership and is now a Parish Associate at Brown Memorial Park Avenue.

 

Maureen Morris is now a Parish Associate at Woods Mem’l.

 

Stephen Mann left as Chaplain at Johns Hopkins Hospital

effective January 21.

People

 

The BIG EVENT- Finding Jesus - February 26, at Woods Memorial PC. HAVE YOU REGISTERED YET???

 

Registration forms, etc. for the Senior High Retreat, March 11-13, are now available at

http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/committees/cyouth/SeniorHighRetreatInformation.htm

 

Local Church Announcements      Presbytery Yearly Calendar

Current Events
Text Box: Presbytery of Baltimore 5400 Loch Raven Blvd. Baltimore, MD 21239 Office: 410-433-2012 1-800-511-0087 Fax: 410-433-2066 www.baltimorepresbytery.org General email: office@baltimorepresbytery.org Staff Peter Nord Executive Presbyter pnord@baltimorepresbytery.org Bill Millen Associate Executive bmillen@baltimorepresbytery.org Julie Helms Administrative Associate jhelms@baltimorepresbytery.org Charles Forbes Stated Clerk cforbes@baltimorepresbytery.org Terry Martin-Minnich Education/Resourcing tmartinmin@baltimorepresbytery.org Judi Forrester Coordinator of Financial Services jforrester@baltimorepresbytery.org Alice McGee Coordinator of Information Services amcgee@baltimorepresbytery.org Dot Sanchez Coordinator of Communications dsanchez@baltimorepresbytery.org Mary Ellen Barrett Resource Librarian mebarrett@baltimorepresbytery.org

January 31, 2005

CHRISTIANITY NEEDS TO MORPH

 

Tidings is sent weekly on Monday afternoons.

Our primary audience is church professionals in the Presbytery of Baltimore.

 

 
Tidings

 

The Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies (ICJS) invites you to attend a Public Lecture by Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg on Tuesday, February 8 at 7:30 pm at Chizuk Amuno Congregation, 8100 Stevenson Road, Baltimore 21208. Rabbi Greenburg will be discussing his new book, “For the Sake of Heaven and Earth: The New Encounter between Judaism and Christianity”. The cost is $10 per person, payable at the door. Ample parking is available. For directions or more information contact the ICJS at 410-523-7227 or http://www.icjs.org/clergy/heavenandearth.html.

Which state legislative district is your church in? Who are your state senators and delegates? Who do you call to support legislation or encourage public policy advocacy? A complete list of Baltimore Presbytery churches by district is available on the Presbytery’s website at: www.baltimorepresbytery.org/documents/LegislativeDistricts.pdf. If you would like to receive alerts and news from the Maryland Legislature, use the Subscription List on the Baltimore Presbytery webpage to subscribe.

 

Have you reviewed the Job Opportunities posted on the Presbytery website recently?

Current and past issues of Tidings can be downloaded from the Presbytery of Baltimore’s web site. [link]

TakeNote/ActNow

Questions or comments? Email Dot at: dsanchez@baltimorepresbytery.org or call 410-433-2012

To subscribe or unsubscribe please Email Alice at: amcgee@baltimorepresbytery.org or call 410-433-2012
Text Box: I was ordained in Baltimore Presbytery on February 17, 1985 at Woods Memorial Church. Since then,  I have enjoyed my time in our Presbytery with all kinds of friendships, fellowships, and acquaintances. I am proud of the multitude of ministries in our Presbytery, and I have been enriched by many experiences that others have facilitated or provided. I am also proud of the leadership role that Baltimore Presbytery has played in our denomination, especially in the arena of advocacy for justice issues. It would be fair to say, however, that while our presbytery has spent an extraordinary amount of time discussing and debating issues of sexuality over the past 20 years, other areas of church importance have received less attention than they need.  Since 1985 membership in our denomination has dropped from 3 million to 2.6 million, and membership in our presbytery has dropped from 22,500 to under 20,000. Aside from the fact that Christ calls us to share the Gospel with all the world, I believe that the smaller we become as a denomination and a Presbytery, the less significance our advocacy for justice will have in a growing country and world. As Dorothy said to two generations in The Wizard of Oz, "we aren't in Kansas anymore." Or, as Stephen King puts it to a younger generation in his best-selling Dark Tower series, "The world has moved on."  The world has moved, and we just haven't quite moved with it. Lots of Christians have come to the realization that the world is moving on and that Christianity needs to morph in order to address a new world.  Brian McLaren is a national leader in helping people across the theological spectrum dialogue about ministry in today’s world. He is the founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in Spencerville, Maryland; his best known book is called A New Kind of Christian. McLaren was featured in the November 30 issue of Christian Century Magazine where he describes himself as a post-conservative Christian and is quoted as saying that evangelical Christianity is just way too rigid. While that is not a statement that very many of us in Baltimore Presbytery would debate, it is remarkable that an evangelical leader stays prominent while being so honest with his own people. Mr. McLaren has led a broad ecumenical movement which is known as the Emergent Church. His quest is to help create a new kind of church.  Tim and Saranell Hartman, Bill Millen, Dan Melton, and I have arranged for a continuing education event with Brian McLaren on Tuesday May 10 beginning with lunch. I think we can have a very fruitful conversation. Baltimore Presbytery, one of the most progressive presbyteries in our denomination, has been saying quite clearly that it wants to find a new way to minister, while retaining its commitment to justice. At the same time, those who call themselves ‘evangelicals’ are asking how they can be more effective in expressing their passion for evangelism. How can we move past (or through?) the familiar labels and categories of ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’? How can our church engage a changing world? What can Brian McLaren learn from us?  Can we help each other create a new kind of church?  Save the date – Tuesday, May 10th for lunch with Brian McLaren and find out. In Christ, Tim Stern, Moderator

 

Catonsville asks for prayers for

 

-  Our summer mission trip for high school youth and congregation members to DOOR ministry in south Florida

-  Our mission partners at Nganza Centrale church and Lubondai Hospital in the Congo

-  Our budget deficit and stewardship campaign for 2005

-  Our upcoming capital campaign for organ renovation, major maintenance, and mission.

 

Christ Memorial asks for prayers as we

 

-  Seek an Assoc. Pastor

-  Build a new entrance, elevator and welcome center

-  Develop a long term relationship with local ministries with people who are homeless

-  Apply our mission statement to long term goals

-  Create a worship atmosphere that reaches across generational, personality, cultural, and tradition boundaries.

 

Taneytown is concerned about

 

dwindling numbers in our congregation.

 

Towson would like to

 

-  increase our ability to listen to God’s voice in our hearts rather than attempt to speak our personal judgments

-  envelop our new Pastor and Associate Pastor with God’s love and our support.

Prayers for Sun, Feb. 6